Creating Outfits with Toms

I like the idea of having themed blog posts, so I have been collecting outfit photos and noticed these all have Toms Shoes in them. Toms are a new thing for me, I've only had mine a couple months. One of the things I like about them, besides the cute factor, is that they have really nice soles and arch support. "Beauty is pain" is a mantra I've accepted in conjunction with my footwear, happily, Toms do not require me to chant as I take each step.

The jeans I am wearing are called "slouchy skinny" and they are by Gap. I love the beat up look of them and, with a fun F21 tank, they are the perfect casual accessory to my Toms.

This shirt has been sitting in my closet since I saw an unflattering picture of me in it. I had made up my mind that, if I didn't find a cute way to wear it, it was going to the thrift store. This is something I have to do from time to time or nothing will leave my closet.

Great news! After adding the vest, I now love this top! Defining the waist and adding some pizazz, my NY&co vest was the chicken soup to this sick top. You may also notice that I have big, fun necklaces on in each shot. When wearing something as androgynous as Toms, adding a little femininity can go a long way.

Steve Madden Oxfords

Versatile shoes are a must, especially when you have a tight budget or don't want to overcrowd your world with hundreds of shoes. I recently purchased Steve Madden's Oxford Trousers and they have quickly become my most worn shoe.

 

These shoes are wonderful because they can take the place of flats, being simple and cute. There is elastic holding the tongue to the shoe so the laces are optional. 

If you are wanting to work the current menswear style but don't want to buy a whole new wardrobe, adding these tailored oxfords is easy alternative.

Wearing a Vest in the Summer: Three Outfits from One Vest

My friend, Loreal, and I were complaining about how hard it is to dress in outfits during summer. Both of us crave layering like we would die without it. If an outfit cannot be adorned with cardigans, leggings, and scarves, then it just is not an outfit. Likewise, when you are in the midst of 100+ degree weather, jeans and a tank top are way too boring to accept as an everyday option. My friends, I give you the solution- VEST! Here are three different ways I've worn my vest from New York & Co. during the last week.


1. Casual

My tailored short denim shorts are a summer favorite, I love the length on them! The vest works because I have a long top on and allow the vest to define my waist. Paired with a chunky necklace and gladiator sandals makes this a great option for shopping, going to a BBQ or even a lunch date.

2. Business

Since I have a tattoo near my elbow, it is important for me to have elbow length tops for work. I tried to go to a meeting with a cardigan on and ended up standing in the sun, in 105 degree weather! By adding this vest, I can choose a light-weight top and still look professional. 

3. Date Night

It may be a surprise to some, but I do not take myself too seriously, not at all. I bought this red, jersey knit dress (also from NY&Co) and, while I love it, it is super sexy. It is hard for me to just say, "check me out in my hot red dress!" By dressing it down a bit with boots and my super cute vest, it allows me to still hint at sexiness but not be in-you-face about it.

If you are crazing a vest of your own, I strongly suggest checking out New York & Co. They have lots of sizes and all of the vests are nicely made and tailored. Have fun trying to layer this summer!

Stripes!

I really can’t say enough about how excited I am that stripes are big right now. I used to think horizontal stripes just make you look bigger than you are. The truth is it is easy to use stripes to flatter your body.

Here I am dressed for a meeting. This particular top has good size stripes and a little give, making it forgiving in the midsection.  The stripes continue over the arms; this is a great trick if you have broad shoulders, the sleeves also help to make my arms look longer and thinner. To make a black pencil skirt a little less Joan on Madmen and a bit more conservative, I added black tights and black pumps. I am still on my quest for pointed pumps, which would have worked much better with the outfit. The pashmina scarf adds texture and color. For some reason, I have it in my mind that if I wear a watch people will think I am punctual and dependable so I added my Mac Jacobs watch.

I often work from home with little chance that anyone will see me, however, I never know what my day is going to look like. Wearing a cropped (shorter, not necessarily belly showing) striped top can actually make you look skinnier when paired with a tight, long tank. Comfy, dark wash jeans and Toms make me feel homey but ready. Since I don’t like wearing makeup when I’m home, putting on red lipstick is a fun trick to help me feel feminine and takes about 2 seconds to apply. 

If you are not sure which size stripe will look good on you, consult a professional or try on every stripe top you can find in a store and have a trusty friend with you to help you be objective. Stores like Forever 21 are great for having many variations of the same style. This is especially helpful if you have a hard time NOT criticizing yourself while trying on clothes. The second striped top is one that was picked out by my stylist, Minh Le. Having her pick out the top gave me an idea of what I should look for when shopping by myself. 

Have a fun, stripe-filled summer!

59 Days of Style: Day 56-59: The End Of My Challenge

Day 59... Amazing that I completed this challenge. My clothing is way more personal than I thought it would be. I will admit that, looking back on the past 59 days, I did have some blunders. The core of this challenge was to be creative with my outfit choices by wearing a new combination each day without repeat or adding to my freshly cleaned out closet. Learning first how to dress my body by having a wardrobe overhaul by Minh Le, then taking those tools and really using them has shown me a new side of myself. A classier, more polished version of myself. In high school I was always complimented for my "unique" style which was mainly made up of old-lady thrift store clothes. Matching was boring and the more colors I could thrown in one outfit, the better. I have come a long way from there! With my new tools, and some new favorite outfits, my style has transformed from "unique" to beautiful, fun, polished and maybe even a bit sexy ;)

Inspired by my friend Loreal's Italian flair, I layered dark pieces with a scarf.

Going to the 2011 Wiener Festival had to wear jeans and a T, good thing I have my doxie pin my friend Cate gave me!

I don't know what I was thinking. Trying to wear this skirt has always been hard for me.

Last day! Love having light, short sleeve cardis to put over tanks for a more layered spring look.

Now that my 59 day challenge has ended I'm working on coming up with some ideas for a new challenge, preferably a shorter one so I don't lose interest. I am off to the airport in 3 hours to go to San Padro, Belize for vacation. I'll start my blog back up with a nod to vacation style. Thanks for reading!

59 Days of Style Day 51-55: Shorts and My New Favorite Business Outfit

With only 4 days left of my challenge I've started to slack off. I am amazed that I've gone this far. Honestly, I sort of thought I would document my outfits for a couple days then stop. What happened is it has become a habit to take pictures of myself everyday.

Monday was warm in SoCal, so shorts were a must. I was inside most of the day, so I added a thin, long-sleeve Gap top. A great way to let my feet breath, and keep them comfortable was to add my new favorite TOMS shoes.

Monday evening I went on a date night with my husband. I swapped out my top for a sweater (Day 12 Day 28) and scarf.

Tuesday I set up for a trade show. It is always a difficult balance between wearing something that you can move in and is work appropriate. This has now become one of my favorite outfits. My stylist, Minh, had the hem let out of these $12 Gap pants. The H&M tank top was about $5 and the Forever 21 striped sweater was $22. I personalized the look with my vintage beads and nude flats.

In my work shirt, ready for the trade show!

Yesterday was my wonderful Mom's birthday :) I ran errands before our family dinner, so I needed a look that would work at a nice restaurant and Target. I wore my favorite sundress (Day 14 Day 26 & Day 41) and black jacket.

On the 5th I will be going to San Pedro in the Caribbean. Why not try out some of my outfits for you guys? This one will probably be good for site seeing and mini-adventures. The shorts are from Old Navy and I do have to tell you, if you are looking for shorts, Old Nave has millions of options.

59 Days of Style Day 46 & 47: Remedy for Spring Fashion

Alright now, Mr. Weather, what's going on? Just moving down to Temecula from Ventura I'm not used to all the fluctuations in temperature. Do I wear a sweater or a tank top? Gee whiz! What I've settled on doing is wearing 3/4 sleeves with sandals, like on Monday (Day 44). Now, remember, I cannot wear the same outfit twice, so creativity is key.

Boyfriend slouchy jeans (Day 3 Day 27) are always fun to pair with a feminine top. Love this cardigan (Day 30), which is the perfect spring balance to my MIA gladiator sandals.

I love how the make my legs look longer! Zipper back is my favorite detail.

This Banana Republic 3/4 sleeve top (Day 2) makes this outfit more business appropriate. I'm also happy to say my new haircut looks great curly too! It always makes me nervousness to style my hair different than my hairstylist does when she cuts it.

Peacock Smoky Eye made with one of my favorite Arbonne eyeshadows- Blue Slate- is a great way to feel glamorous when doing the normal work and errands day.











I've almost exhausted my wardrobe! Since I have only 12 more days left, I want you to help me put together an outfit. Simple email, or comment with a list of the items you think would look good together. You can describe the pieces or tell me which day I wore the them on. I'm open to makeup and hair suggestions too!

59 Days of Style Day 44 & 45: Forever 21 and Michael Kors Stripes

Since I'm nearing the end of my 59 day challenge, I am looking for ways to improve my blog and getting ready for my next challenge/ topic. One of the things I have done is added the response buttons. If you would like to leave a reaction to the posts, you can click the buttons at the bottom. Thanks!

Yesterday I had a casual work lunch. The weather is still wavering between cold and warm so a sweater and sandals it is! (Don't mind my dachshunds in the photos, they just get excited when I get ready to leave)

I love this stripped Forever 21 top ((Day 10 Day 23) with a cropped cardigan (Day 22). The stripped sleeve peeking out of the cardigan keeps this look fresh. This Gap corduroy pencil skirt (Day 7) is a great basic. My favorite part of this outfit has to be my vintage jade beads my husband gave me. If you are curious why there is an extra thick white stripe at the bottom of my shirt, it is just my white tank top showing up. The top is a little thin and too short for me to wear with this skirt- the white tank is key!

I'm working from home today and going to my friend's pilates class tonight. Not in the mood to get all dressed up just to change, I put on this cute, gold-stripped Michael Kors top over my yoga pants and tank top. It's a bit chilly today so I added my sheepskin boots (sadly, not real Uggs) and the hat my Grandma knitted me. (She has started selling them, so let me know if you want one)
Close up of the hat:

If you are like me, you don't like a bunch of makeup on while working out. What I like to do is put on a little concealer (Arbonne makes the creamiest, full-coverage concealer that doesn't dry chalky) with a a bit of mineral powder foundation and mascara. I feel fresh but not over done.

59 Days of Style Day 39, 40 & 41: Personalizing Outfits

It is unbelievable that today is day 41 of my 59 day journey to 1. not buy any new clothes 2. not wear the same outfit twice. At this point, I assumed it would become more difficult for me to reach in my closet and pull out something new. Being bored and discouraged were part of the way I used to get dressed. Having Minh Le work with me to do a complete wardrobe overhaul changed the way I see my closet and myself. Today I saw Minh for the first time since the endeavor, about 6 weeks ago. When I saw her new asymmetrical hair do, I knew I wanted one too. After getting my hair done I realized that that is exactly what she does- inspires you with her style then helps you translate it into a personal look. If anyone is interested in a free consultation with her, give her a call 760-672-1215 (she told me I could post her phone number), she is wonderful to work with. I encourage anyone who has been inspired by my blog to take the next step and call Minh. Alright, now on with the outfits!

 My Mom bought this white cardigan (Day 26) at T.J. Max forever ago. I keep almost getting rid of it, who knows why, but it keeps popping its way into my outfits! This is my alternative to jeans and a T-shirt; jeans, a tank top and a crop cardigan.

Adding unique, vintage jewelry to a casual outfit is my way to personalize my look. Here are a pair of turquoise earrings my Grandma tossed my way in one of her famous "things I don't want anymore" bags.

When I was looking for these earrings, I came across this ring my Grandma had also given me. It is a hand-made brass whale ring. I don't know what it is about animal rings, but they make me happy!

Not sure this outfit was the best idea. I love the flower print silk top by sanctuary but it was battling it out with my skirt and not staying long. Not wanting to try another outfit by the end of the day, I put my chain cardigan (Day 9, Day 14 Day 15) over.

Today!

Going to see Minh, I wanted to wear something cute. Visiting Carlsbad from Temecula, I wanted to have layer options. Here I have on my black twill pants from Ann Taylor (Day 30), sundress from Anthropologie (Day 14 Day 26) and Forever 21 cardigan (Day 20 Day 38) with my wonderful Steve Madden nude flats. Side note, the nude flats were the first item that Minh had me buy. I was skeptical to have such a simple shoe but they are so wonderful!

 

59 Days of Style Day 35 & 36: Inspired by Peter Pan

Today I made up my mind to wear these tights, they were purchased 3 or 4 years ago at Target and the $3.48 clearance tag was still on the packaging. Yes, they remind me a bit of Peter Pan, however, neon tights are the thing this spring. An old habit I had was to wear as many colors as I felt like, believing as long as they go together, I was doing a good thing. Not so, my friend. There is a place for fun patters and colors but not on an everyday basis and not with electric tights like these. A great way to think of using color is base and accents. I chose a Ann Taylor denim pencil skirt and black cowl neck top to keep things simple. Since the tights are the focus, I did not want to cover them up with boots so I chose my Steve Madden nude flats, a great way to style nude flats.

Can't stand only having one color in an outfit? I love adding a touch of color to my nails, this coral shade by OPI is one of my favorites. I also chose one bold, unique accessory- a zebra print flower cuff from Minh Le's line.

Saturday I had a home day, here is my casual outfit. How do I always seem to wear things together from the same place? The jeans and sweater are both from Gap. the scarf was a gift from my husband's grandma. Got to love cashmere!

59 Days of Style Day 30-33: Ruffles, Solids, Florals and Stripes!

I can't believe I've received 936 page views, almost 1,000! Thank you all for your interest in my humble blog. Looking back over the past 4 days worth of outfits shows me how "all-over-the-place" I've been this week. From working to playing, I've had fun trying to put new things together. It is starting to be a real challenge as I've worn all of my favorite pieces and outfits and am now having to try hard to think of new looks. Maybe that explains the random mix of outfits this week!


Monday: Ruffles

This is how I wore this outfit, since I had to be walking around the property, boots were a must. Another sale item from Anthropologie, this ruffle shirt is lots of fun. I love adding a little frill to an outfit. I was working, so I added a plain Gap cardigan and my Anne Taylor twill black skinny pants.

 Alternative look adding some fun peep-toe pumps.

Tuesday: Solids

Super tired Tuesday morning, I couldn't remember what outfits I had already worn. The forecast said it was going to be warm, but I wanted to cover my tattoo on my arm. The fix? Pleated 3/4 sleeve top with wide-leg trouser jeans. A fun bracelet added some razamataz. (Yes, the top and pants are both from Gap and yes, the cost was about $35 combined.)

Wednesday: Florals

Alright, this is one of my all-time favorite outfits. Why? Because this is the dress I bought for my engagement party and have only worn at weddings ever since. Minh, my stylist, told me to throw this cardigan (Day 4 Day 11 ) on and ta-da! daytime AND party time outfit. Grey leggings also help make this outfit casual and more conservative. Gosh, Erin, you sure wear those boots a lot! Well, I love them, so there ;)

Close up of the fun floral-lace pattern. If you want to wear floral, but aren't in to floral tones and patters, pick something like this monochromatic cut-out layered material.













Thursday: Stripes

It's hard to deny that stripes are in style. I, like most people, have a healthy fear of stripes. They can make you look bigger, which nobody wants. However, they are just too cute and stylish to let the classic look go on without us. My other striped shirt (Day 10, Day 23) has cool stripes that go over the shoulder and break up the horizontal lines. This top has small stripes and is nice and long. Since I was in a cozy mood, I chose to break it up with a long cardigan. The rolled up pants and cute flats were inspired by my friend, Heather. Cozy, cute day? Yes, please!

May you be inspired to embrace your eclectic side. Chose a bold piece and have fun!

59 Days of Style Day 27-29: Balancing Volume

I love playing with volume! Ruffles, chunky knits and patterned skirts are lots of fun, however, it is easy to let them overwhelm your figure. 

On Friday, I wanted to wear something pretty, like this top. This is a very feminine top and, as you know, I'm not one to be girlie head-to-toe. I love this Anthropologie top, but I want to still look like me. By wearing some boyfriend, "broken in" jeans (Day 3), I am able to stay casual yet pretty. 

A chunky knit sweater and scarf are wonderful when going to be outside at night, (my brother's 30th birthday party) but easy to make sloppy. Skinnies (Day 13, Day 18 and  Day 23) and boots are the way to balance this look. It is also fun to play with colors. I knew I wanted to wear this scarf, so I chose neutral colors, then I realized I needed a jacket. Trying to still stay fun and fresh, I laid out my outfit and tried different jackets. Surprising to me, this mustard yellow jacket (Day 1, Day 13) is the perfect contrast.

This yellow and purple zebra dress is a bit out there, even for me. I bought it for a trip to Las Vegas and have been trying to figure out a way to wear it since. Minh Le, my stylist, taught me one of my new favorite tricks; pulling on a black crew neck (Day 3, Day 16). The dress is magically transformed into a cute skirt and the black sweater tidies up my silhouette. Nude shoes, awesome trick for elongating the legs and not drawing attention to light legs. I also busted out my vintage beetle brooch, which makes me happy.

Do you want to wear something chunky or full on the top or bottom? It's easy to do, just make sure you slim out the other half so you don't look like a cast member from the original Degrassi High.